A leading Midlands landlord has criticised the Green Party’s radical plan to abolish private renting, describing it as “an ideal world idea” that would take decades and devastate supply if ever pursued. John Kane, who owns several buy-to-let properties across the region, made the remarks on BBC Politics Midlands during a heated exchange with Green councillor Alex Mace.
Greens push to phase out private landlords
The Green Party formally adopted a policy at its October conference to “end private landlordism” in favour of publicly owned housing and expanded council housebuilding. Co-sponsor of the motion, Worcester City Councillor Alex Mace, said the policy could only be realised “over a number of parliaments” but argued that councils could purchase existing rental stock using the “same sources of finance landlords use — borrowing and rental income”.
“The idea,” Mace said, “is that rent would go back to the council rather than to private landlords.” He added that the policy’s goal was not to remove all landlords entirely, but to drastically reduce the number of privately rented homes over time.
Such proposals have drawn criticism from across the property sector, with the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) calling them “economically naïve and socially destructive.” Experts have warned that removing private investment would collapse the rental market long before public housing could fill the gap — forcing rents higher and worsening shortages.
‘Landlords aren’t villains — they’re filling a gap’
Kane acknowledged that, in theory, a universal public housing system could appeal to some voters. “It would be an ideal world if everyone’s accommodation were provided through the state rather than private enterprise,” he said. “But that’s not how the real world works.”
He pushed back strongly against stereotypes of landlords as exploitative, saying most private investors run modest portfolios. “Private landlords are not all Rachman-type companies. A typical landlord runs three or four properties — it’s their pension,” he said.
Industry data supports this view. According to HMRC and NRLA figures, 93% of UK landlords own fewer than five properties, with many relying on rental income for retirement. Removing these individuals from the market would wipe out over four million rental homes — a loss no local authority could replace for generations.
Economic reality versus ideology
Property analysts say the Greens’ proposal may play well politically but misunderstands the financing realities of local government. Councils already face record deficits and borrowing constraints, with little capacity to fund mass property purchases. The average cost of a UK rental home now exceeds £1,300 per month, meaning even a fraction of the market would require tens of billions in new borrowing.
As Kane pointed out, “Landlords use their own savings and take personal risk. Councils can’t do that at scale without enormous taxpayer exposure.”
For many landlords, the debate exposes a growing gap between political ideology and housing practicality. The private rented sector currently houses one in five UK households — including millions who cannot yet access mortgages or social housing.
Editor’s view
The Green Party’s proposal to phase out private landlords reflects a deep misunderstanding of housing economics. While more council homes are welcome, removing private investment would destroy capacity overnight. Landlords remain the backbone of UK housing — often providing homes where the state no longer can. If policymakers truly want affordability and stability, collaboration, not abolition, is the answer.
Author: Editorial team — UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance.
Published: 4 November 2025
Sources: BBC Politics Midlands, Green Party Conference 2025, NRLA, HMRC, ONS
Related reading: Private rent pressures grow with affordability gap across UK regions
